Three Nicknames Registered for Las Vegas NHL Hockey Franchise

Majority owner of the Las Vegas NHL franchise Bill Foley listens during a news conference introducing George McPhee as the team's general manager at T-Mobile Arena on July 13, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

LAS VEGAS (KXNT) – The eventual nickname for Las Vegas’ new NHL hockey franchise may be among a group of three finalists already registered as possible domain names by team ownership, according to media reports.

Owner Bill Foley confirmed to the Las Vegas Review-Journal Thursday that the nicknames Red Hawks, Nighthawks and Desert Hawks had been registered by the team as possible names for the franchise set to begin play in 2017. Foley also told the paper two other potential names were close to being registered and remained under consideration.

Foley’s Black Knight IP Holding Company, LLC purchased the domain names as well as derivations of those three names in the past several weeks, a common precursor to the selection of a franchise’s ultimate nickname. Foley previously stated he would like to unveil the official team name, logo and licensed apparel by late September or early October.

In an interview earlier this week, Foley said possible copyright issues, some involving his alma mater West Point, nixed his initial name preference for the team – the Black Knights.